A Dash of...

Chapters

Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight - Epilouge
Chapter One

Chapter Two

A Dash Of...

A MLP:FiM Fanfic

By Mr Merritt

MLP is copyright Hasbro

It was a matter of pride that Applejack awoke before the rooster crowed out in the farmyard. She trusted her internal clock more than some colourful bird, and besides she had work to do. The Apple family took turns in making breakfast for the ones that had to work. The only exception to this being Applebloom who, despite her eagerness to help, had a lot to learn about food preparation. The last time the sleepy filly had tried to cook still lingered in their minds, as did a stubborn stain on the ceiling of the kitchen that was never openly spoken of.

This was part of the reason why Applejack was immediately on the defensive when she crept downstairs and heard the unmistakable sound of bowls and pans being used. She knew it wouldn’t of been her brother or grandmother, and there was no way Applebloom would dare try. There was one possibility, but the mare doubted it. Still, she had to check and be prepared for anything. She carefully peered into the kitchen, preparing a lecture just in case.

Instead, all she could do was watch and be impressed.

When Applejack had been young, younger than Applebloom was now, she had spent some time in Manehatten. The upscale city was completely different than the countryside in so many ways, it still marvelled the mare to this day. One thing that stuck in her mind was what passed for cuisine among the classy ponies who lived there. She remembered her aunt and uncle telling her about how great this one chef was, and how they had to spend quite a few bits to get him to cater their dinner parties.

She also remember how little there seemed to be to the food.

But she did take a moment to peek into the kitchen to watch this supposed master of the cooking world. The end product might have been lacking to the mare, but watching the preparation was amazing. It reminded her of watching a unicorn performing a juggling act: food and utensils mingling together and producing something seemingly from nothing.

That was what she found Peppermill, the young colt that had been found unconscious and hurt on their property, doing.

She could see the intensity on his face as he chopped, washed and handled the various pans and pots along the counter and stove top. He clearly knew exactly what he was doing, if the grace of his movements as he balanced on his hind legs was any indication. The smell of the food was more than enough to leave Applejack speechless. It wasn’t a standard country breakfast by any means, but it didn’t resemble the tiny potions that proved to leave her hungry so many years ago.

She stood watching the colt as he tended to his recipes, and it was only the growl of her stomach that alerted the colt to his audience. With a small muffled yelp Peppermill fell back onto four hooves and turned to face the mare, a slow but hot blush beginning to creep up his neck and onto his cheeks.

“I’m…sorry if I…woke you…Miss Applejack.” he stammered. “I was…making breakfast. I wanted…to repay…you all…for your…kindness.”

“It’s pretty much impossible to sleep in late round here sugarcube.” chuckled the mare kindly. “And you don’t have to go on with that ‘miss’ stuff…”

“Um…how many are seating?” asked Peppermill, changing the subject.

“Hmm…pretty much the whole clan. Even though Applebloom doesn’t have to be to school for a while yet she still gets up with the sun like the rest of us.” The grey colt nodded, and began to set four place settings. Applejack frowned at this.

“Shouldn’t it be five?”

“Um…I’ve…already eaten.” murmured Peppermill. This earned him a frown from Applejack, but the sombre and serious look on his face prevented her from commenting. She sat herself down at the table, and watched with growing amazement at the variety of food being set before her. It didn’t take long before Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny Smith appeared.

“Wow. This looks amazing sis!” gasped Applebloom.

“Weren’t me.” chuckled Applejack. “This is all Peppermill’s doing.”

“You did all this?” Applebloom was very impressed, as were the rest of her family. The colt simply nodded shyly as they took their seats. For a moment, the was no movement as the ponies all stared at the meal before them. It was Granny Smith who broke the silence.

“Aren’t you gonna join us sonny?” she questioned Peppermill.

“He says he already ate Granny.” Applejack gave the colt a pointed look, but Peppermill simply nodded his agreement. Granny seemed a bit put off by this slight, but all it took was one bite to remove her ire. The Apple ponies had never had such a meal before, and they all savoured every bite.

***

As Applebloom made her way to school, Big Mac into the fields and Granny Smith to her chores, it was Applejack who made her way into town. She had been deep in thought the night before, and she hadn’t slept until she made a decision. She had realized she needed to help Peppermill more than just giving him a roof and a safe place from whomever he was trying to get away from. This would require support from her friends, and the word needed to be spread.

As she made her way into Ponyville, she reviewed her options. As much as she adored Pinkie Pie, her exuberance may not sit well with the timid colt. And she simply could see Rainbow Dash as the consoling type. Fluttershy was a given, and she trusted that Twilight Sparkle had the tact to not say anything that might cause offence. The only pony that proved to be a challenge was Rarity. She knew that the generous unicorn would certainly be as kind as the yellow Pegasus, but would her tendency for dramatics and overall diva-ish behaviour offend rather than help? This was the questioning that brought her to Carousel Boutique first that day.

She gave a small knock on the door of the shop and let herself in. She immediately found the white unicorn mare busy cutting material at a table. This might not of seemed all that impressive, until you took into account that there were almost half a dozen sharp scissors orbiting around Rarity’s head, some coming uncomfortably close to her beloved purple mane. Applejack waited for a lull in the action before clearing her throat.

“Just a moment darling!” sang out Rarity as the sharp instruments floated down onto the table. She turned to face her friend, a flush of exertion and pride on her face.

“I simply must thank Twilight for helping me with this spell. It is so much faster to work this way, even if it is tiring.”

“Ain’t you worried about getting too close to those scissors flyin’ around?” quiered Applejack.

“Oh no. Apparently there is some sort of…what did Twilight call it, a failsafe built into the spell. They will never get close enough to me to harm. But enough of that, I need a rest anyways. What brings you here today?” The unicorn mare lifted her red working glasses off her face, and patted the slight sheen of perspiration with a silk handkerchief.

“Well, the truth is I kind of need some help.”

“Um, this isn’t some sort of…labour work is it? It’s not that I wouldn’t want to help, but you understand…” Applejack lifted a hoof, silencing her friend.

“Naw, this is something else entirely.” The Earth pony explained about how Peppermill had been found seemingly half-dead on their property, and how he seemed to be running away from something.

“He seems mighty scared. I reckon a friendly face meaning him no harm might open him up.” Not surprisingly, Rarity was quite shocked at this story.

“That’s terrible!” she gasped. “Oh that poor thing! We simply must help him. But…”

“But?”

“I’m so sorry Applejack, but I simply have no time to leave right now. I have a back order I simply must finish. Couldn’t you bring him here?”

“I wish I could Rare. But he is convinced that whoever did this to him is out there waitin’ to get him, and from what Applebloom says he thinks me and mah family are in danger too.” The orange mare was a bit disappointed, but she understood Rarity’s need to fill her job order.

“Wait, you said he seemed to warm up to Applebloom right?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, why not ask Sweetie Belle to talk to him? And why not ask Scootaloo as well? I’m sure they would help. And as soon as I finish I will come to Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Huh, I guess I never thought about that. Reckon I will. Thanks Rare.”

“Of course.” The two friends said their goodbyes, and Applejack set off.

***

Though the Earth mare agreed with Rarity’s idea of getting the Crusaders to help, she still wanted to ask Twilight and Fluttershy for assistance. Fortunately she knew exactly where the two mares would be today, and she hurried to the town library. The butter yellow Pegasus was helping the purple unicorn to dust the high shelves, finding it a lot easier than getting Spike to balance precariously on a ladder.

She nosed her way into the building, finding two busy ponies and one equally busy baby dragon hard at work dusting.

“Hey AJ!” chirped Twilight as she magically levitated some books off of the shelves, allowing Fluttershy to move in with a duster in her mouth.

“Hey Twi, hey Shy…” smiled Applejack.

“Ahem…”

“Oh, and hello Spike…”

“Sup…” The assembled mares had to giggle as the dragon returned to his work, satisfied that he had not been left out of the greetings.

“Are you two gonna be busy later? I kind of need yer help with something…”

“Oh, is it serious?” murmured Fluttershy around the handle of the duster.

“Well…” Truth be told, Applejack wasn’t sure how to answer the question. She wanted to help Peppermill, but she wanted to make sure he understood that he was safe and cared for before trying to delve into what the real problem was.

“Is there something wrong?” prodded Twilight, giving her friend a concerned look. Applejack sighed, and told her friends of how she and Big Mac had found the badly injured colt in the orchard, and how he seemed so scared to be there. The reactions from the ponies and dragon were just as the orange mare was hoping for.

“How terrible…he must be so scared…” exclaimed Fluttershy in a hushed tone.

“This is serious…” announced Twilight, her face grim. “If somepony is after this colt, he needs protection.”

“I think that part is taken care of Twi.” spoke up Spike. “I don’t think you can get any more safe than with the Apple clan watching over him.”

“Yep.” drawled Applejack proudly. “But ah really would like some help. If we can get him to talk more, we might be able to help more.”

“Absolutely. Let me just grab something and we’ll go with you to Sweet Apple Acres.” Twilight began to scan the shelves Fluttershy sidled up to Applejack.

“Do you…um…really think there is someone after him?”

“I don’t rightly know Shy. He sure seems to be scared of someone showing up. Fact is, he seems more scared of me and my family getting in trouble than his own well-being.”

“Well, whoever this guy is, he better watch out.” Spike puffed out his chest. “If he shows his face around here, I’ll give him a surprise he won’t soon forget.” With that, the dragon gave a deep breath, and proceeded to blow and hot, controlled gout of flame.

“Land sakes, since when have you been able to do that Spike?”

“Been practising.” replied the dragon proudly.

“I just wish you’d do that outside…” remarked Twilight as she packed a book into a saddle bag and shrugged it over her withers.

“Hey, I said I was sorry about that curtain. Besides, it was tacky anyways…”

***

The three ponies, with Spike riding on Twilight’s back, made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. As they made their way out of the market square, a rainbow streak came barrelling towards them.

“Hey, what’s up?” rasped Rainbow Dash, hovering over the group.

“We are going to Applejack’s. Want to come along?” asked Twilight.

“Why? Finally decided to get some cheap labour?” teased the cyan-eyed Pegasus.

“Fer yer information we’re going to help out somepony.” Applejack mentally took note of the verbal jab, planning on getting her friend back for it at a later date.

“A young colt is being chased by somepony.” said Fluttershy.

“We haven’t established that yet.” quipped Twilight. The unicorn explained the situation to Rainbow, just as another familiar face trotted into view.

“Oh, thank goodness I caught up to you Applejack. I just finished my order and sent it off when I saw you all gathered here. Are you going to check on Peppermill?”

“Yep.” Applejack felt far more confident at this point than she had that morning. She should of known that he friends could be depended on to help. All that was missing was…

“HEEEEY!” Applejack couldn’t stop herself from chuckling as a pink streak came to a screeching halt before the group. “What’s going on? Is there something going on I didn’t hear about? I don’t think so because no pony in town has a birthday today…or an anniversary, for that matter. I know it’s not a major holiday, though I heard somepony mention something about a National Fruit Appreciation Day. I figured Applejack would like that day, since apples are fruit and she knows everything about apples and…”

“This isn’t a laughing matter Pink.” said Rainbow, a surprisingly serious look on her face. “Somepony needs our help.”

“Ooohhh….” Pinkie Pie immediately took on a serious look, which melted rather quickly as she ended up giggling. “You look so funny with that look on your face Dashie, I don’t know how you do it…”

“Oh brother…” groaned Rainbow. The seven friends continue on their way, with Applejack silently relieved. Ah should of just asked them all in the first place…

Chapter Three

A Dash Of...

A MLP:FiM Fanfic by Mr. Merritt

MLP copyright Hasbro

As the group of ponies and one baby dragon reached the farmhouse on Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack immediately noticed something amiss. Sitting on an old rocking chair on the porch, sound asleep, was Granny Smith.

“Heh, I bet Granny Smith could sleep though a hurricane.” snickered Rainbow Dash.

“Granny is a lighter sleeper than you think.” snapped Applejack. “But why is she nappin’? She ought to be getting lunch ready by now…” The mares approached the house, allowing Applejack to take the lead so she could gently nudge the elderly green mare awake.

“Huh...wazzah…” stammered the old mare.

“Granny, why are you out here? Shouldn’t you be inside makin’ lunch?”

“Lunch? Oh, it’s been taken care of.” chortled the mare. “Jes look in the window…” Now totally confused, the Earth mare did as she was told, followed by the rest of her friends, who crowded around and above her.

“I swear, I reckon that youngin’ was born with a pan in one hoof and a knife in the other…” added Granny before dozing off again. Indeed, the sight before the mares and dragon was very impressive. For the second time that day Peppermill was busy preparing what looked to be a multiple course meal.

“Woah…did you see him with that knife? That was cool!” squealed Rainbow.

“He is very good, isn’t he.” agreed Fluttershy.

“His technique is impressive. I think he’s been trained.” This comment came from Spike, which earned him few surprised looks. “What? Have you ever seen Twilight try to cook? I had to learn pretty quick or else we would both of starved a long time ago. Besides, cooking with gemstones isn’t easy.”

“Ohh! Ohh! Did you see that flip of the pan? He didn’t even miss a beat!” cheered Pinkie.

“Wow.” That was all Twilight could say. Rarity, who had yet to comment, seemed to be intently focused on the colt. Suddenly…

“Canterlot”

“Pardon?” asked Spike, more than willing to listen to the white unicorn.

“Canterlot.:” Rarity repeated firmly.

“Is that a knock-knock joke?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“I’ve seen cooking like that before in Canterlot. I think Spike might be right about this colt being trained.”

“Canterlot? He’s an awful long way from home then if that’s the case.” murmured Twilight.

“Oh…my…you don’t think he ran all the way from there, do you? Chased by…” Fluttershy began to tremble slightly at the thought.

“Um…hello?” The raspy voice of the colt cut through the chatter of the mares and dragon. They all cringed as one and looked back into the kitchen. Standing at the window, chewing his bottom lip anxiously, was Peppermill. The mares all began to look away, various degrees of embarrassment on their faces. Applejack recovered first.

“We’re real sorry about that Peppermill. It’s jus…we weren’t expecting you to make lunch too.”

“I…have to make…it up to you…before it all…goes wrong.” mumbled Peppermill.

“Look sugarcube…why don’t you come on out here so we can talk.” offered Applejack.

“Um…you should…come in here. The food…shouldn’t be….left unattended.” The mares looked at one another, and silently filed into the kitchen. As they did, Rarity gave a quiet whisper.

“He said ‘unattended’. His choice of words makes it sound as if he had had some sort of formal education…” Applejack had to admit that Rarity may have had a point about her theory about where the colt may of come from. Soon all the mares were sitting around the table as Peppermill continued to work at the stove.

“These are mah friends Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and Spike.” announced Applejack.

“How do…you do.” rasped Peppermill, nodding at each of them in turn.

“How do you cook like that? That is amazing!” gushed Pinkie Pie, which earned her a collection of dark looks from a few of the others. Leave it to Pinkie to ignore bein’ subtle grimaced Applejack.

“It’s…something I’m good at. But…I had…really good teachers.” The colt was unable to prevent a twitch in his eye, which the mares silently took note of.

“Are you sure you are ok kid? I mean, that’s a pretty good shiner your sporting.” Rainbow Dash asked with a frown.

“Um…it doesn’t hurt…anymore at least…” was the careful response. He seemed to be polite, though still wary of the sudden attention he was getting. It was around now that he seemed to suddenly register something. He gave Spike a genuinely surprise look. “A…dragon?”

“Yep. One hundred percent dragon.” remarked Spike with a grin.

“Wow…” His gaze then fell onto Twilight Sparkle, a thoughtful look on his face. “Did…you say…Twilight Sparkle?”

“That’s right.” nodded the unicorn. “Have you…heard of me?”

“I…remember hearing…that name. Some ponies…were talking…about Princess Celestia…having a special student.”

“Um…does this mean you are from Canterlot? I mean, that is where Twilight is from…” asked Fluttershy carefully.

“Yes…I’m from Canterlot.” agreed Peppermill sombrely.

“How did you get here sugarcube?” coaxed the orange earth pony.

“Um…I ran?” Peppermill began to squirm under the scrutiny, clearly not liking the memories being brought up. Applejack immediately left her spot at the table to put a comforting foreleg around the neck of the colt.

“Ah know you are finding things tough, but me and mah friends want to help you. We need to know what exactly is going on. If it’s true that yer from Canterlot, and that you ran all the way from there, then, well…” Applejack paused, letting the colt answer the question for himself. He looked like he was struggling, wanting to speak but unable to get the words out. The group waited patiently, not wanting to force anything.

Then it happened…

Twilight noted at first the sudden look of surprise on Spike’s face, followed by a seemingly uncontrollable bulging of his cheeks. A message? she realized to herself.

“BURP!” A burst of flame erupted from Spike, and it brought forth a scoll that plopped onto the table. At the same time Peppermill gave a cry of sheer terror and collapsed to the floor.

“Fire…” he wailed, trying to squeeze himself into as tight of a ball as possible. Applejack made a move towards the colt, but was cut off by a flash of yellow. In seconds Fluttershy had embraced the quaking colt in her forelegs, making soothing noise and stroking his dark mane. Pinkie, in a show of forethought, began to shut off the stove as Rainbow Dash scooped Spike up and ushered the dragon outside. Twilight quickly followed the two out of the house, while Applejack and Rarity hovered over the colt and Pegasus, her heart breaking.

Dear Celestia, what happened to you? she thought despondently.

***

Lunch was salvaged by Pinkie Pie, but none of the mares felt like eating. Despite Fluttershy’s brave attempts, Peppermill eventually passed out and was carried into the spare room. The rest of the mares gathered outside, trying to console an equally upset Spike.

“This is my fault.” moaned the dragon, distraught over sending the colt into a panic.

“It wasn’t your fault Spike. You know you have no control of when a message comes.” This came from Twilight, nuzzling her assistant warmly. “It did give us some more insight into Peppermill.”

“Insight?” questioned the dragon.

“Something involving fire must have happened to him, something bad.” said Rainbow Dash with a sigh.

“A colt…badly beaten…ran all the way from Canterlot…frightened by fire…this is most distressing.” announced Rarity with an unhappy frown.

“He was so scared.’ whimpered Fluttershy, her empathetic nature bringing her close to tears.

“Ah know…” The mares looked up to find a emotionally drained Applejack coming out of the house towards them. “And ahm gonna find out who did this to him, and so help him, her or whatever when ah do…” Spike and the other mares looked at each other warily. They had never seen their friend Applejack this mad before. Whatever was going on, she was taking it to heart.

***

No matter how much any of them tried, none of the Apple family could get Peppermill to leave the spare bedroom after the fire incident. For three days the only way they knew the colt was in the house at all was the empty plates that were left outside his door after he would be brought a meal.

Work continued as always at the farm, though tensions were high. Applejack was still fretting over the colt, as did the rest of her family. Big Macintosh still could feel the intimidation pouring off of the colt when ever he was present. Granny Smith tried to convince her grandchildren that the best thing for the colt was time to heal. And Applebloom…

The yellow filly had become just as obsessed at finding out what exactly was causing Peppermill so much pain and terror and her older sister. Despite taking time away from her quest to discover her cutie-mark, she was determined to make things right. As a result, she had enlisted the aid of her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders in hopes of curing Peppermill’s ills.

Unicorn, Pegasus and Earth filly sat around a table in their clubhouse, puzzling over the situation. Applebloom had tried to introduce Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to the colt, but nothing seemed to make him open the door to the guest room.

“He is so scared.” sighed Applebloom. “AJ thinks some pony hurt him real bad…”

“I know big sis was writing to some of her customers in Canterlot about whether they know about a missing pony there.” admitted Sweetie. Scootaloo was silent, staring out of the window with a stern expression. She hadn’t said much about the situation, but her friends knew this was nothing more than her trying to be ‘tough’ like Rainbow Dash.

“Maybe we can get him to make something for us.” said Applebloom “He’s really good at cookin’. Even Granny Smith said she could learn somethin’ from him.”

“Are you saying that because you think it would work,” piped up Sweetie Belle, “or because your hungry?” This won her dark look from the red-maned filly, in which the unicorn filly returned. This staring contest continued for a moment until Scootaloo suddenly spoke up.

“Applebloom, what did you say this Peppermill guy looked like again?”

“Um, a grey coat with a dark mane. Kinda thin and a cutie mark that looks like one of them fancy pepper shakers you see at that fancy restaurant in town, why?” When she received no answer, Applebloom turned to where the Pegasus filly had been sitting but there was no sign of her. When a familiar sound of buzzing wings could be heard down below, the remaining Crusaders raced for the window, just in time to see Scootaloo taking off on her ubiquitous scooter.

“Scoot, wait!” cried Sweetie. Meanwhile, Applebloom was squinting out in the direction Scootaloo was racing towards. It was only when she saw a dark figure racing along that she felt her stomach turn into a knot.

“He’s runnin’! Come on Sweetie Belle, we got to go get help!”

***

With burning lungs and aching heart, Peppermill sprinted as fast as he could away from the farmhouse. There had been a brief moment of uncertainty in his mad plan for freedom when he realized just how high off the ground the second floor window of the spare room had been. But he managed to clamber down a drain pipe to the ground and never looked back.

As he ran, his mind churned like a stormy sea. The old fears were back, along with a new one: regret. He hated himself for leaving like he did, but he simply couldn’t risk it. The memory of the dragon flame dominated his mental vision, and the knowledge that every minute he spent with the Apple family meant their impending doom.

Whether the doom would be from his own jinxed luck or the inevitable vengeance he would bring to those who dare to show him any kindness was more than he cared to think about

***

“Man, he’s fast. Though if you were as scared as he seems…” Scootaloo mind raced as fast as she did as she raced along in pursuit of Peppermill. Despite his desperation fuelling him, she was closing the gap. Soon enough she got within yelling distance to the colt, and she cried out as loud as she could.

“Peppermill, stop!” Surprised, the colt looked behind him, to find an orange Pegasus filly on a scooter bearing down on him. This was enough of a distraction to cause him to stumble and do a nasty looking face plant on the ground. Scootaloo, with a grimace and the knowledge that she was responsible for this, bounded off her transport and raced to the now prone pony.

“Oh man!” she moaned. “Applebloom’s gonna kill me…”

***

Hours later one miserable colt, three distraught fillies and one furious mare sat at the kitchen table. When Sweetie Belle and Applebloom had first come running up to her, Applejack had been expecting a typical Cutie Mark Crusader situation. When she learned that Peppermill had ran away she had felt her blood run cold. The three ponies raced full speed to where Peppermill lay dazed and Scootaloo looking enormously guilty.

“Why in Equestria would you run off Peppermill? What has gotten into you?” demanded Applejack hotly. Peppermill had been silent the entire trip back to the farmhouse, and whatever explanation he was giving was nothing more than a low mumble that none of the ponies could comprehend.

“You were running pretty fast, for a cook I mean…” This was Scootaloo’s failed attempt to break the tension in the room. The burning hot look she got from Applejack silenced her quickly.

“Ah don’t think yellin’ is going to help sis.” offered Applebloom carefully. “Ah’m sure Peppermill has a good reason for what he did.” This caused the colt the nod his head desperately.

“I know, I know…” Applejack seemed to deflate, her initial anger spent. “I just…didn’t want to see him get hurt again…”

“He’ll hurt you…I’ll hurt you…I can’t stay here…” this squeaked-out plea from Peppermill surprised the ponies. “Trouble follows…me…everywhere. It was…my fault…”

“What was yer fault? Who is gonna hurt us?” begged Applejack.

“The…fire…and they…they…” Peppermill began to cry openly and wouldn’t say anymore. Applejack reached over and embraced the colt in a tight hug. The three fillies began to sniffle quietly, even Scootaloo.

“Oh sugarcube…” murmured Applejack, a few tears rolling down her own cheek.

Chapter Four

When the itching in her scalp had finally receded, Pinkie Pie relaxed as she stirred batter in the kitchens of Sugarcube Corner. They must of caught him…I hope he’s okay. she thought as she pulled a cupcake tray over with a free foreleg. Though it might of seemed like the party pony was hard at work, he mind was elsewhere. Like the rest of her friends, she had been trying to come up with a way to help Peppermill, the colt that Applejack and her family had found.

Normally Pinkie’s answer to everything was a party, but she knew that this was one of those rare occasions where it wouldn’t. Besides, a party wasn’t much fun when the guest of honor was so scared. But if she couldn’t party, what could she do? The only course of action was to bake. Nopony can resist my triple chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow fluff icing…not even a super-duper cook like Peppermill!

Pinkie began to pour out the batter, just as she caught the sound of the bell over the bakery’s front door tinkle. She would have been there to greet the customer, but she knew that Mrs. Cake was at the till that morning. Besides, cupcakes (as any pony knows) is serious business…

***

“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” exclaimed Mrs. Cake brightly as bell over the door chimed. She initially had her back to the door, but when she turned around she gave a double take. It wasn’t so much that the pony before her was clearly a visitor to Ponyville, as it was just how…striking the visitor was.

The first thing she noted was how large the stallion was. While she couldn’t judge accurately without him being there, she suspected that Big Macintosh could look this one in the eye. He had an off-white coat, a slicked back grey mane and a cutie mark consisting of a dinner plate with a knife and fork crossed at the handles on top of it. But it was the gaze he gave the older mare that made her feel the slightest bit on edge; it seemed like he was examining her, as if looking for some sort of…weakness?

“Good day madam.” he greeted Mrs. Cake with a deep baritone.

“What can I help you with?” asked Mrs. Cake.

“Well, I can use some help but not with any of your fine goods.” intoned the stallion. “In truth I am rather desperate…”

CLUNK!

“Is…there something wrong?“ The stallion frowned at the sudden sound from the kitchen, but Mrs. Cake seemed unfazed. It was pretty much a given that any time Pinkie Pie was baking, things like this happened all the time.

“Oh, don’t worry about that hon. You said you needed help?”

***

Pinkie Pie lay on the floor of the kitchen, blinking in surprise. A quick check of her body revealed no injuries but…

“Uh oh…”

***

“I am looking for somepony. My brother, in fact…”

“Oh?”

“It really is my fault. You see, things have been…strained between us lately. I fully admit to having said things that I regret, but he is so young…”

***

“Oh bad oh bad oh bad…” Pinkie had managed to flip onto her back, staring with growing distress at her right hind leg. Her leg had gone completely numb, and no amount of poking, prodding or massaging could being any feeling back. Most ponies would of seen this as some sort of cramp, but Pinkie knew better.

“Numb leg…back right…Pinkie Sense…means someone bad is nearby…” she grunted as she attempted to get upright. “Really, really nearby…”

***

“He ran away?” gasped Mrs. Cake.

“And I have to find him, and explain that I’m sorry. I have no idea how far he might of gotten, but he can be quite stubborn at times. I was hoping that maybe some pony here in your nice town might of seen him…”

***

With a determination that would of befitted a pony dying of thirst in sight of a bottle of cold sarsaparilla, Pinkie Pie dragged herself across the floor with her front hooves. Whatever had set off her Pinkie Sense was just outside the kitchen, and she needed to see what it was.

***

“Well, I’m sorry mister…um…”

“Saltpeter, at your service.” The stallion bowed low, putting as much charm into it as possible, a fact not lost on the mare. Still, she couldn’t shake this ominous feeling that he wasn’t being as sincere as he showed.

“Well, I am afraid I haven’t heard anything about and lost colts. But I will certainly ask my regulars. I would suggest going to the market, since there are always a lot of ponies there and maybe one might of seen your little brother.”

“Thank you for your help madam. I should mention that he is probably very scared right now, so he might bolt. I would rather that if anypony does see him not to approach him. The only one who can get through to him is me.”

***

Pinkie had managed to crawl to the doorway between the kitchen and the sales floor of the bakery. Despite having to peer from underneath the swinging door, she was still able to catch sight of the large stallion speaking with Mrs. Cake.

The moment her gaze fell on him, she left her already numb leg freeze solid enough to genuinely hurt.

This was more than enough for her to place the stranger into the dreaded “Meany McMeanpants” category of “Ponies I Have Met”. She had to stuff both her front hooves into her mouth to keep from shouting or drawing any attention to herself. Only when the stallion had left, and Mrs. Cake turned to the doorway did she respond. With a grunt she perfromed a impressive headstand, balancing on her front legs. She immediately raced out of the front door, not before calling out.

“Gottagomrscakeitsanemergecnymakesuretogetthecupcakesoutoftheovenbye!!!”

***

The closest place to Sugarcube Corner was Carousel Boutique, so moving at a speed that even impressed her Pinkie Pie raced down the street on her front legs, her one good and one useless hind leg bouncing above her head. Most, if not all, of the ponies wandering in town and saw this gave the pink mare a cursory glance at best then went back to their business. This was Pinkie Pie, after all, and it was usually a good idea not to question her motives or actions.

Once Pinkie got to the dressmaker’s shop, she paused for a brief moment to decided her next course of action. She eventually decided on contorting her barrel so she could press on the doorbell with her good hind leg.

“One moment…” sang out a familiar voice from inside the shop. Pinkie fidgeted on her front hooves. As much as she wanted to politely wait, she knew time wasn’t on her side.

“Rarity! It’s important!” cried out Pinkie anxiously.

“Pinkie?” The ivory unicorn mare opened the door to find herself looking at an upside-down Pinkie Pie, peering at her from the ground.

“Rarity! There is a bad pony in town! Pinkie Sense! Numb leg! Eeek!” This last comment came from Rarity, due to the fact that Pinkie had been trying to gesture as she spoke, which caused her to tumble forward. This resulted in the two mares piling into a tangle of legs just inside the boutique.

“Pinkie!” cried out the unicorn crossly. “What are you talking about?!” As Rarity untangled herself off of her friend, Pinkie began to explain about her leg and the strange stallion that had visited Sugarcube Corner.

“He sounded like he was nice but my Pinkie Sense said he wasn’t. And he was asking Mrs. Cake about a missing colt and I bet it had to be Peppermill!”

“Are you sure about this Pinkie. Maybe this brother or whomever is trying to help…”

“Nope, nope, nope! A numb back right leg means somepony bad, and the only other ponies there were me and Mrs. Cake!”

“Well, I truly wish to help but I can’t.”

“But…”

“Listen, I sent a message to some of my…contemporaries in Canterlot. I asked if there had been any news of fires or lost colts lately. I’m expecting an answer right away. I would much rather get evidence than to jump to conclusions…”

“Argh!” growled Pinkie in frustration. She then got back onto her front hooves and made her way back out of the shop. “I’ll go try Twilight. She’ll listen!” Before Rarity could respond the party pony was gone.

“I want to help.” pouted Rarity. “But I’m not going to run around making accusations without proof, Pinkie Sense or no Pinkie Sense…”

***

Pinkie, after having made a mental note to try walking on her front hooves more often because of the interesting perspective it gave her, raced to the town library. One might of questioned how she could manage this, since she was basically facing backwards the whole time. But Pinkie knew every inch of Ponyville, and knew exactly where to step and when to adjust her direction. This proved fortunate, since she had to make a desperate dive for cover near Carrot Top’s cart when the deep voice of Saltpeter caught her attention. Once firmly hidden in a nearby rain barrel (thankfully empty) she peered over the lip.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you,” said Carrot Top to Saltpeter, “but I haven’t seen any lost colts around.”

“Hmm. I suppose it is possible that he might not of reached this far. But I have to check every possibility. I intend to stay in your lovely town for a day or two just to make sure. Please, if you do see dear little Peppermill, make sure to let him know his brother is worried.”

Pinkie Pie prided herself in being able to like just about anypony, but there always had to be an exception to the rule. In this case, she found herself unable and unwilling to buy into the syrupy-sweet words spoken by the towering stallion. The fact that her hind leg was so numb she couldn’t even feel it anymore proved it. If he was Peppermill’s brother, he wasn’t a very good one. She continued to silently glare daggers at the pony from inside her barrel when a flash of blue overhead caught her eye. She had to wait until Saltpeter had moved on before waving down the rainbow-maned mare from the sky.

“Dashie! Dashie! Come quick!” begged Pinkie Pie as Rainbow Dash fluttered above the barrel.

“What’s up Pink?”

“Do you see that pony over there? The one with the black mane?”

“Yeah, what about him?”

“I think that’s Peppermill’s brother…”

“Really? That’s great! We should…”

“No!” Pinkie leapt up and snagged Dash’s tail in her mouth, pulling the Pegasus into the barrel with her. For a few moments the wooden construct rocked violently, a few grunts coming from inside it. Eventually the movement settled, resulting in Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash cramped rather tightly together inside.

“What did you do that for?” demanded Rainbow, confused (and perhaps the slightest bit embarrassed over the rather awkward closeness the barrel caused between herself and her friend).

“He’s not a good pony! My Pinkie Sense says so!”

“Not a good pony…” Rainbow trusted Pinkie’s uncanny ability to sense things more than other ponies, but she found it hard to swallow at the moment. Of course, she found it hard to move at all being pressed so tightly against the pink pony.

“We need to tell everypony not to tell him about Peppermill! We need to warn Applejack!”

“We need to get out of this stupid barrel!” cried Rainbow, a suddenly crushing sense of claustrophobia making her panic. With a sound not unlike Pinkie’s famous party cannon, Rainbow shot out leaving a multicoloured contrail. Pinkie poked her head out of the barrel and watched for a moment.

“Fine, I’ll go tell Applejack. I don’t know who you are going to tell over there.”

***

At that moment at Sweet Apple Acres, three young fillies were anxiously waiting with growling stomachs as a young grey colt worked at the kitchen counter. After some introductions, apologizes and a heavy dose of pleading (complete with a triple shot of big eyes that would of even given Pinkie a sugar rush) Peppermill had given in and accepted the friendship of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. As proof of his acceptance, he offered to make the fillies a snack.

“Wow, you’re really good at that!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, entranced at how quickly and precise Peppermill chopped some fruit for a salad.

“Lots…of practise.” murmured the colt as he began to fill a bowl with a variety of different fruits.

“It’s got to be more than that. I mean, yer ain’t that much older than us…” pressed Applebloom.

“You have a cutie mark for it and everything…” added Scootaloo.

“Um…I just do…what seems…right. Haven’t you three…tried that? I mean…to get your marks…”

“Ugh, don’t even start with that.” grumbled the orange Pegasus, brushing some of her purple mane away from her face.

“It seems…you all…have lots of help…to find your marks, I mean.”

“Well, ah suppose so. But you must of too. Ah mean, yer parents must of encouraged you…” Applebloom immediately snapped her mouth shut, noticing the very visible change in Peppermill’s demeanour at the mention of parents. His whole body went stiff, and the knife he had in his hoof clattered to the counter top. The three fillies looked at each other worriedly, until Sweetie Belle suddenly piped up.

“You know, I don’t get to see my mom and dad very often. But my big sister Rarity is always there to help me.”

“And mah parents…well, they ain’t around no more.” added Applebloom. “But I got big sis, big brother and Granny Smith to help me.” The two fillies looked to Scootaloo pointedly, silently ordering her to say something. Scootaloo’s mind went blank for a second, then she squeaked.

“Um…I have…Rainbow Dash?” Applebloom and Sweetie Belle collectively face-hoofed. They were about to try and say more when they were interrupted by something slamming hard into the front door of the farmhouse.

“Peppermill!” cried out a familiar voice as the fillies and colt piled into the living room. Applebloom opened the door, and leapt away as Pinkie Pie collapsed forward into the house. “Ok, maybe running on your fore hooves isn’t a good idea. Oh, the room is spinning…”

“Pinkie Pah, what in tarnation?” demanded Applebloom. The party pony shook her head until there were the right number of things in the room, then managed to half-leap, half-stumble into an embrace around Peppermill.

“Saltpeter…” she hissed.

“Salt…peter…” whimpered Peppermill, going limp.

Chapter Five

While panic gripped the farmhouse, things seemed to be going as usual out in the fields. Applejack was in the middle of the unenviable task of hauling baskets of apples into the barn for storage. Meanwhile, Big Macintosh was in the process of tidying some of the trees that sat closest to the road towards Ponyville. Keeping a well-tended orchard, and in turn making it look eye-catching was key to good customer relations.

This also provided the draft horse with the ability to watch for any visitors that might make their way to the orchard. While many ponies were happy to make use of the apple stand that would be set up every other day in Ponyville’s market, some found getting their fruit directly from the source to be much better.

And so, it was that Big Mac caught sight of another large stallion coming up the path. It was obvious that the approaching pony didn’t see Big Mac, if the interesting behaviour he exhibited was any indicator. The off-white stallion seemed to radiate a sense of anger and disgust at his surroundings, as if he totally loathed the thought of being in this place at that moment. He kept looking around as if searching for something, but the dark scowl on his face showed this was an act of anger than that of concern. Everything about the stallion rubbed the Apple pony the wrong way.

But Big Mac knew how to keep a neutral stance and opinion until a decision was needed. So he carefully approached the fence and cleared his throat loud enough for the other stallion to notice. The complete change in the off-white stallion’s appearance and attitude was noted by Big Mac, but he continued to keep a unreadable face. Meanwhile the now smiling stallion approached him, radiating charm.

“Excuse me, I hate to take you away from your job, but I am need of some help…”

***

It looked as if a hurricane had hit the living room of the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. One single name had set off a frantic commotion that had sent a few Pegasus feathers flying, most of the furniture to be tipped onto the floor, more than a few pictures knocked off the walls and at least two heads being solidly knocked together.

In the middle of this chaos was a pile of ponies. On top of the pile sat Scootaloo, checking her tiny wings and scanning the room mentally checking off what she had lost. Below her were Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, trying to catch their breath after the furious activity they went through. After that came Pinkie Pie, who was more interested in trying to regain the feeling in her right hind leg than on being sandwiched between young pony flesh. And on the bottom of the pile, eyes wild and making unnerving noises from deep in his throat was a grey colt with a pepper grinder cutie mark.

“N-n-n-no…” rasped Peppermill, trying to pull himself out from under the mass of female pony flesh.

“Who is Saltpeter?” questions Sweetie Belle between pants.

“It’s his brother. He’s looking for him.” explained Pinkie Pie, still trying to regain some feeling in her numb leg.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” asked Scootaloo, wincing at a noticeable gap between a few primary feathers.

“Not when he’s a bad pony…” intoned Pinkie, suddenly serious (or possibly remembering the whole reason for her being there).

“A bad pony?” Applebloom groaned.

“Really bad. Right Peppermill?” The colt in question didn’t answer as he continued trying to pull himself out from the bottom of the pile.

***

“I am so worried about my little brother. All I know is that he was heading in the general direction of your town here, and I’m hoping some pony might of seen him.” The stallion, who called himself Saltpeter, had regaled Big Macintosh with a story of a runaway colt. Big Mac, who was no dummy, knew exactly who the colt in question was.

He also knew, or at least highly suspected, that this older brother was not being as honest as he could be.

Though his sister Applejack held the title of Element of Honesty, Big Mac liked to think that he had a knack for the truth himself. And everything about this stallion before him said ‘liar’. The story he gave seemed just a bit too…rehearsed, as if he had been practising it in front of a mirror. While the concerned smile he wore seemed sincere, Big Mac felt the it was more a mask than reality. The angry, ugly pony that had been wandering the path only moments ago seemed closer to the truth. While trying to find Peppermill seemed to be the goal, Big Mac wasn’t convinced Saltpeter had good intentions upon finding him.

Unlike his sister Applejack, however, Big Mac would and could bend the truth enough when needed.

“Am sorry to say me and mah kin haven’t seen any colts around here that weren’t accounted fer as of late.” Big Mac shifted his massive body ever so subtly, hinting that he wasn’t going to expand on his comment. Saltpeter’s stance indicated that he was not about to back down from the red pony. If Big Mac was any judge, he would of guessed Saltpeter was…offended?

“Well, I don’t doubt that a busy pony such as yourself may not have noticed anything out of the ordinary, what with your…work and all.” Big Mac didn’t budge, but he could hear the slightest bit of venom in the word ‘work’, and mentally took note of it. “But you did mention you have a large family. Perhaps one of them may of seen him. I would be grateful if I…or we, could go and ask.”

“Hmmm…” Big Mac had been hoping the stallion would go on his way, but now he had to act fast. There was no way he was going to let Saltpeter anywhere near the farmhouse. Therefore, the only real option was…

“I reckon we kin go and ask mah sister Applejack. She’s out at the barn.”

***

Much to their collective dismay, the fillies and mare had to resort to harder measures to deal with the maddened colt. Applebloom was able to find some rope stored away in a closet and after a few difficult minutes, managed to tie Peppermill's legs together. He now lay in the middle of the living room on his back, his four legs tightly fastened together, and sobbing.

“He found me…he’ll hurt you…for helping me…I didn’t want this…” wailed Peppermill. The Crusaders milled around feeling out of sorts, partly from the sheer panic pouring from the colt and partly because the voice of reason seemed to be Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie, however, had her own problems.

As the fillies were tying up their friend, both for their and his own protection, her Pinkie Sense went off. Just when she had been trying to put some weight on it, her right hind leg stiffened and dropped her to the floor.

He’s close she thought grimly, immediately heaving herself upright on her front legs. “Okay girls. We need to find somewhere to…um…put Peppermill so he doesn’t…uh…cause any more damage.”

“Um…the cellar?”” offered Applebloom, eyeing the upside-down mare warily.

“Sounds good. To the cellar!” Before the fillies could respond, Pinkie marched out of the room.

“Will somepony tell me what is going on?” demanded Scootaloo. “What is with Peppermill? Who is this Saltpeter and why are we hiding from him?”

“Why is Pinkie doing headstands?” added Sweetie.

“I was hoping for questions with actual answers…” grumbled the orange Pegasus.

“Look, you girls go and get Peppermill downstairs. Ahm…going to check something’” Once again, before a response could be made Applebloom headed upstairs. This left the unicorn and Pegasus the task of dealing with the thrashing colt.

***

“AJ?” called out Big Mac as he and Saltpeter entered the barn. Applejack was just placing the last over the unused baskets into a corner of the barn when her ears perked up at the sound of hoof steps. She turned around to find her brother and a stranger approaching. She noted that the stranger seemed less than enthusiastic about being in the building. It brought to mind the way rarity would take dainty steps, shying away at every potential source of grime that might befall her.

This immediately put the earth mare on the defensive.

“This here is Saltpeter. He says he’s lookin’ for a lost colt.” If the off-white stallion had been paying attention to the exchange rather than his surroundings, he might of noticed the subtle but silent communication going on between the siblings. Big Mac was making it clear to watch herself around this pony, and Applejack acknowledged it with a tiny nod.

“Lost colt you say…” offered Applejack.

“Oh yes, my dear little brother. I’m afraid he ran away after a fight we had. Being the only one left of our family to care for him, I simply must find him. I was hoping some kind, caring souls such as you and your brother might help.” Salt peter flashed the mare a winning smile, oozing charm and appraising the mare’s strong figure approvingly.

Applejack immediately disliked this stallion.

“Ahm mighty sorry to hear that. We Apples consider family to be important, and ahm sure you miss yer brother powerfully.” (Normally Applejack would not of laid her Appaloosan accent on so thick, but she got a bit of dark amusement watching the stallion try to decipher what she said)

“Yes, I do miss him…er…very much. He can be quite clever, and I wouldn’t put it past him to try and hide somewhere. Your family has such a large property, I can image all sorts of hiding places he might find.”

“Well,” drawled Applejack carefully, “I have been through every acres of the farm today, and I haven’t seen anypony resembling yer brother.” This statement was in fact the honest truth: Applejack had not seen Peppermill at all that day. She had woken up early to get to the chores, but the young colt had not left the guest room that morning. She made a silent prayer of thanks to the Sun Goddess that Saltpeter didn’t ask her something more detailed. Her brother might have been able to use the occasional white lie, but she couldn’t bring herself to do even that.

“Oh, I am sure you have been quite busy. I wouldn’t dream of taking you or your brother from your chores. Are you certain there wouldn’t be any other ponies here that might be able to help?”

“Ee-nope.” rumbled Big Mac firmly. “Our youngest sister has been out with her friends and Granny Smith, well, her eyesight ain’t the best no more…”

“But we promise to be watching out for yer brother, and if we see him we’ll let you know.” Applejack silently begged the stallion to accept this offer and head on his way. She also hoped that he wouldn’t look to closely at her to notice the trickle of a sweat drop trail down her cheek.

“I guess that really is all I can ask. I intend to stay a few more days here in Ponyville, and maybe I might catch him if he tries to pass through. I do thank the both of you from the bottom of my heart.” With that the off-white stallion made his way out of the barn, making sure to watch his step lest he put his hoof in something he didn’t recognize. Only when he seemed to be long gone did Applejack release the breath she had been unintentionally holding.

“I hate to admit it, but ahm beginning to get an idea of what might of happened to Peppermill.” rumbled Big Mac gravely.

“I’ve seem smiles like that on rattlesnakes…” grumbled Applejack. “I think we had get back to the farmhouse and ask Peppermill about this…”

“Eyup.”

***

“I…can walk…on my own. I promise…I won’t run…” This pained request came from Peppermill after the fifth (or possibly sixth) tumble to the floor. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo sat on either side of the trussed up colt, panting.

“We could sure of used Applebloom’s help with this…” grumbled the Pegasus filly.

“We could of used Pinkie’s help…” corrected Sweetie, rubbing her back with a foreleg.

“You…could untie me…”

“Oh no. I saw you run.” replied Scootaloo. “And I am not interested in a chase right now.”

“What’s taking you fillies so long?” The young ponies turned to face the open door to the cellar, where Pinkie Pie stood on all four hooves.

“Peppermill is heavier than he looks.” sighed the unicorn filly.

“No more headstands?” quipped Scootaloo.

“Nope. I think Saltpeter is going away.” The pink mare walked over to the assembled ponies and began to untie Peppermill. As she did, she gave the fillies a puzzled look. “Where’s Applebloom?”

“She said she had to do something, I think in her room.” answered Sweetie. At that moment, the filly in question appeared in the kitchen, a concerned look on her face. Before anypony could respond, the sounds of heavy hoof falls from the porch revealed Applejack and Big Mac entering from the other side of the room.

“Pinkie, what are you ding here? And why is Peppermill all tied up?” demanded the orange mare.

“Was that strange pony coming out of the barn Peppermill’s brother? Ah watched from mah bedroom window.” piped up Applebloom.

“Wait! No!” This comment was from both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who had been watching Pepppermill the entire time. As soon as Pinkie had loosened the rope around his legs the colt was on his feet and tried to push his way past the older farm ponies blocking the door outside. The colt might of managed to get out, if he hadn’t slammed into the broad chest of Big Mac. He staggered backwards, shaken up from the impact, and looked up into the face of the draft horse. For a few tense moments colt and stallion stood unmoving and silent, the assembled females holding their breath.

“I didn’t do it! I turned…off the stove. I…know I did. But…he said that…and then…it was so…hot and…” babbled the colt desperately. “He said…he said…I was a bad colt…and I deserved to…be punished…and…and…” Peppermill’s frantic speech was silence by a dinner plate sized hoof pressed gently on his mouth. Big Mac leaned down to look the colt in the eye, then:

“Ah believe you Peppermill.”

“Mmmph?”

“Yer brother said you ran away. But he also said you two had a fight. Me an’ AJ don’t think that’s the whole story. But you got to tell us what happened. And you have to tell the truth.” Big Mac’s mellow baritone seemed to cut through the distress in the colt, for he sagged and gave a tiny nod. Only then did Big Mac remove his hoof. After a few moments, Peppermill began to speak.

“Me and my brother, and Mother and Father, lived and worked at...this restaurant in Canterlot. We…lived upstairs while…ponies dined downstairs. It was really…really popular. I…I seemed to…be really good…at cooking, Saltpeter…not so much. Mother and Father…would let me help…during the late setting. I…had made some…sauces…on one of the big stoves. I…I…know I turned off….the burner. Father…always said…to never leave a…stove hot. But…there was…all that smoke…and the crying. I got lost…got bumped by…ponies running. I heard…my parents telling…ponies where to…run. I remember…the door…outside.` Peppermill gave a shuddering deep breath, then continued.

"I…was…in the alley…behind the restaurant. The fire…was…so hot on my back. I…couldn’t see…eyes stung. Saltpeter was there…standing over me. He looked down at me…really angry. He said…it was my fault. Said…I hurt all those…ponies. That I…wasnt as great…as everypony thought. He…hit me, here…He motioned with a hoof to his left eye which had only recently healed enough that he could see through it. He never heard the angry growl come from deep in Applejack`s throat after hearing this.

He said…I was a jinx…a troublemaker…that he didnt want me…he hated me…said I should of…stayed inside. He was going to hit me…again…but I ran…ran…he yelled I`ll find you and you`ll hurt anypony around you.and *Ill punish anyone who dares to help a fire-starter* Physically and emotionally spent, Peppermill bowed his head low, sniffling. When he lifted his head up he found a few surprising sights. For one, Pinkie Pie and began to wail hysterically, twin floods of tears puddling on the floor. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had their heads bowed low, sniffling. Scootaloo was looking away, a trembling chin betraying her true feelings. Big Mac remained impassive, but Applejack was shaking with emotion, her green eyes blazing like lightning.

`Saltpeter…will find out Im here. But…if I go…he won’t hurt you…just me…”

“No!” This sharp, angry statement made everypony jump. Applejack’s voice was tight with repressed anger. “He ain’t hurtin you or anypony. Ahm gonna find that sidewinder and beat the…”

“You ain’t doing that AJ.” rumbled Big Mac. Applejack snapped her head at her elder brother, furious. But before she could respond. “You know like ah do, and the rest of you here, that Peppermill is tellin’ the truth. But we got to make Saltpeter admit his guilt. And he ain’t gonna be doing that if you bust him up.”

“Yes! We need a trap. A tricky trap! A super-duper confessional trap!” Pinkie Pie’s sudden shift from despondent to determined earned her a puzzled look from Peppermill.

“Yes…” admitted Big Mac warily. “But right now what we need to do is find somewhere safe fer Peppermill.”

“He’s safe right here!” demanded Applejack fiercely.

“No he ain’t AJ. Wut if you and me weren’t able to keep Saltpeter from going to the farmhouse? Miss Pie might have been here now, but what about tomorrow? We can’t keep an eye on him all the time, not with all of our responsibilities. And we are too far from town in case we hafta get help. He would be better off in town with somepony who can stay with him until we can get this sorted out.”

Applejack, through the red haze of anger in her thoughts, knew that her brother was absolutely right. It had been a close call today, and who knew what Saltpeter was truly capable of? The hurt and misery from Peppermill broke her heart, but letting her temper and pride get the better of her could hurt him worse than he had already been.

“Yer…right, as always Big Mac.” she said finally, seemingly calm but not about to let her anger go completely. “Right now making sure Peppermill is safe is more important…”

“Why?!?” This angry demand erupted from Peppermill, the first sign of something other than misery from him.

“I admit that it ain’t nice to say, but yer brother rubs us the wrong way. He’s hiding something, and it’s up to us to find out what. And before you get all bent outta shape you ain’t a jinx, ain’t no such thing…” explained Big Mac calmly.

“You’re too careful to make a mistake like leaving the stove on. No cook or chef would do that, no matter how young you are.” insisted Pinkie Pie.

“Please Peppermill…” this request came from Applebloom, who approached the colt and put a hoof on his shoulder and looked into his dark eyes with her own amber ones. The grey colt bit his lip, looking around at the gathered ponies. No matter where he looked, he saw trust and kindness.

“Ok…” he managed finally.

***

As the ponies planned, another figure stood silently listening on the porch of the farmhouse. A vicious smile on his face.

Found you…

Chapter Six

Twilight Sparkle searched the shelves, frantic to find anything that might fill any gaps in her knowledge of how to deal with adolescent colts. She still couldn’t believe that she had agreed to take in Peppermill, the young colt who had literally ran into their lives.

Well, actually she did know why she had agreed.

The reason started with S and ended in pike.

Ever since the baby dragon had accidentally frightened the colt with a belch of dragon fire, he had been wishing to make it up to him. When Applejack and Pinkie Pie approached the pair explaining the situation with Peppermill`s older brother Saltpeter, Spike had jumped at the chance.

He can stay at the library! One of us is always here, and its public enough that Saltpeter could never try anything without somepony seeing. While she agreed with Spike`s logic, and was more than willing to offer any assistance she could for the poor colt, Twilight still had her doubts. A young male dragon was one thing, but a young male (and emotionally scarred) pony was something else entirely.

The less than flattering descriptions given of Saltpeter by Applejack didn’t calm her nerves either.

And so, in typical Twilight fashion, she searched for answers in her books.

***

Any pony might of mistaken the procession heading into Ponyville was for some sort of celebrity or royalty. They might have been surprised to learn that the figure at the center of the mass of horseflesh was a simple grey colt with a black mane and a perpetually worried look on his face.

Applejack, Big Macintosh, Caramel (who had been enlisted, or to be more precise ordered under the penalty of having to deal with an angry Applejack), Pinkie Pie and Rarity all surrounded Peppermill as the made their way to the town library while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew overhead. All of the older ponies kept one eye out for a certain off-white stallion while keeping the other on the colt. More than once a few loud shouts and other assorted noises spooked the colt, ready to bolt at the drop of a Pegasus feather. But even he couldn’t deny the genuine sense of safety he felt surrounded by what he had decided were his friends.

My sources in Caterlot told me that a very popular restaurant did indeed burn down recently. murmured Rarity in a quiet voice to Applejack. “The husband and wife owners…perished. There was talk of their children, a younger colt and an older stallion, that disappeared. They suspect arson…”

“Hmmm…” Applejack frowned, glancing at Peppermill, who was doing a poor job of not being caught listening in to the conversation. She was about to say something to Peppermill when she heard Big Mac give a polite cough.

“We’re here.” Indeed, they had managed to arrive at the library without incident. They mares and Peppermill entered the building, leaving the stallions and the Pegasi to keep an eye from outside. Once inside, Applejack turned and knelt down to look at Peppermill eye-to-eye.

“Alright sugarcube. Twilight is not only one of mah closest friends, but she know more magic you can shake a horseshoe at. If anypony can watch over you till we can get this mess sorted, it’s her.”

“What am I? Stale hay?” piped up Spike.

“I…we…are going to make this right.” concluded Applejack, her green eyes flashing.

“Why?” This single word from the colt’s lips stunned her.

“Because that’s what friends do.” Twilight gave this answer, as she placed a kind hoof onto the colt’s head. “And helping ponies is the right thing to do too.”

“But…I deserve…”

“No you don’t!” said Applejack sharply. “No pony deserves what you are going through. Everything we have found out says that you didn’t do anything to deserve this.” Peppermill was quiet, absorbing this explanation. Suddenly Applejack reached at his and held him in a tight hug. The colt simply sat there in her embrace looking confused, scared and perhaps the tiniest bit embarrassed.

“I’ve placed all sorts of wards around the library. I’ll know when any pony sets a hoof in here. I promise that me and Spike will watch over Peppermill.” explained Twilight. Applejack gave her a grateful nod and eventually released the colt from her grasp.

“I’m going to get lunch ready. It might not be as fancy as what you might make Peppermill, but it’ll work.” said Spike. Peppermill suddenly grew more animated than he had been in quite a while.

“You…can cook?”

“Heh, do apples grow on tree?” grinned the dragon.

“Can…I watch?”

“Sure. Come on, we’ll trade recipes.” Within moments the baby dragon and colt were heading for the kitchen, chattering animatedly.

“I think he will be just fine here Applejack.” said Rarity with a smile.

“Oh, oh! I wonder if they might let me taste test.” exclaimed Pinkie.

“Thanks girls.” sighed Applejack, giving her friends a grateful smile. “Listen, ah know it looks like I’m taking this a bit too much to heart, but ya gotta understand…”

“It’s okay darling. You see a bit of you and your family in him. You both know the pain of losing someone in your lives.” soothed Rarity.

“Yes.” was all the orange mare could say. “And I ain’t about to let anypony go through that as long as ahm around.”

***

If you would devote a fraction of energy to learning your craft that you do to your schemes, you’d be the greatest cook in Equestria.

These words ran though the mind of Saltpeter as he causally leaned against a nearby building near the library. He had heard these, and many other words, spoken to him all his life.

And he hated every syllable and every ounce of well-meaning behind them.

His life had been great for a long time. He was part of a well-respected family, coming from a long line of cooks. Despite the insistence of his parent to give to charity and others in need of help, they were incredibly well off. He was a handsome stallion, with plenty of willing mares ready to bend backwards to be seen at any of the hot spots in Canterlot. Without having to lift a hoof in effort, Saltpeter was living a life most could only dream of.

Then his parent announced they were having another foal.

Some ponies in his position might have been leery of the idea of suddenly becoming an older sibling, but Saltpeter embraced it. Little brothers were like bits in the bank when it came to a mare’s affections, not to mention keeping himself firmly in his parent’s good graces. He had already been planning on how to make the most out of this news hours after the announcement, for Celestia’s sake!

Then the little turncoat had to pick up a frying pan!

For all of Saltpeter’s good looks and charm, he was the type of pony that could burn cereal. No matter how patient his parent’s were, no matter how much concentration he put into it, the elder son of two of the best cooks in the city couldn’t cook to save his life.

All that precious talent went to him.

Within a few years Saltpeter’s world had come crashing down around him. Some might of suspected he was over-reacting, feeling that his paranoid belief that his parents had forsaken him for his younger, talents brother was false. But when he was no longer the talk of the town, things needed to change. He was going to put a stop to this usurper to his self-imaging throne as the best.

And surely wanting to finish what he started was a good trait, right?

***

With a promise to check in on him whenever she had a chance, and a guarantee to see that Saltpeter would be dealt with, Applejack and her friends left the library. Twilight Sparkle closed the door with the flicker of a violet aura, and gave a sigh. The intensity that radiated off of the tangerine apple farmer was enough to set anypony on edge. But she had promised that she would look after the colt, and she would keep her promise.

Her thoughts were stopped by a conversation coming from the kitchen.

Dear Celestia, between Spike and Peppermill I’ll never go hungry she thought. She approached the kitchen, but stayed by the doorway to listen.

“Huh, that’s pretty good technique for someone with hooves.”

“You’re lucky…to be heatproof…to handle…cast iron without…protection.”

“How the heck do you keep track of all those recipes without a book? You must have a photogenic memory or something…”

“Is it…hard to cook…with gemstones?”

Twilight smiled as the two shared tricks and techniques with each other. She had been a bit concerned at first that Peppermill might still be leery of Spike, given his understandable aversion to fire. But it seemed their shared enjoyment of cooking overrode any fear. This is probably closer to his real self than anything we’ve seen. thought the unicorn. Deciding that things were under control, she set back to her initial task: sending some important correspondence to Canterlot.

***

A few days went by without incident, and Peppermill seemed to be opening up more and more. Seemingly gone was the terrified colt, and in his place was one who no longer seemed to fear the world. He still tended to speak slowly and carefully, and Twilight decided that the odd raspy quality to his voice was natural and not the result of injury. Peppermill mentioned something about him sounding like his father when questioned about it, and that satisfied the lavender unicorn.

“Um…Miss Twilight?” asked the colt one afternoon. “May…I ask…you something?”

“Of course Peppermill.”

“Why…does Applejack…seem so…intent on…helping me?” Twilight was grateful she had her back to the colt when he asked this, so he didn’t notice the wince she gave. Normally Peppermill was quite content to avoid any sort of discussion about his past or even recent events, a sign that Twilight monitored carefully lest it might cause problems in the future. But this sudden query caught her off guard.

“She seems…to be…taking all this…personally. Did…something bad…happen to her?”

“Well, as I understand it Granny Smith had to raise her grandchildren after their parents…” Twilight faltered, knowing this was a sensitive subject (and knowing if Applejack were to find out she was telling she would pay dearly).

“I…get it now.”

“You…do?”

“Yes.” sighed Peppermill. “I…just wanted…to make sure. I…just hope…it’s not…a mistake.” With that cryptic remark, Peppermill went over to one of the bookshelves leaving Twilight’s mind racing.

***

Little did the purple unicorn know that somepony had also heard the interesting conversation. To the unaware it looked as if the dark maned stallion with the off-white coat was merely loitering outside the public library. But in truth Saltpeter was busy listening in, trying to look for the opening he needed. Thankfully he had picked up a few dirty tricks from some unicorns in his circle of friends, and was able to (temporarily at least) circumvent the strong magic the unicorn mare was using.

Fortunately for him, and perhaps unfortunately for those inside the sprawling tree, he just picked up a considerably strong ace to play.

With a smirk and some truly evil thoughts, Saltpeter went off to plan.

***

“Go”

“But…”

“You said…your magic…will warn you and…everypony else if…something were…to happen.”

“Errgh…” Twilight Sparkle and Peppermill found themselves in the middle of a battle of wills. This particular day was the one rare time Spike was granted a beloved break from work, and he was already off doing whatever it was he did on his day off. This wouldn’t of been a big deal, if Twilight hadn’t of forgotten about agreeing to meet with Fluttershy that same day. Despite the confidence she had in her magical warning system she didn’t want to risk it. Especially not if Applejack were to find out he had been left unattended.

“It’s not…like I have…anywhere…to go.”

“Peppermill…”

“Are you…going to keep…Miss Fluttershy…waiting?”

“…”

“…Fine. But the moment any of my cantrips go off I am teleporting right back, understand?”

“Yes.” With immense reluctance, the bookish mare left the library. If she wasn’t so absorbed in convincing herself that everything would be fine, she might of noticed the large stallion watching with eyes more suited to a snake as she passed by his hiding spot behind a building.

***

Peppermill liked to think he wasn’t the type of pony to be bored easily. Of course, given that his young life as of late was anything but boring might of helped. Still, when he found himself in the large, empty library with only books for company he began to question himself about insisting on letting Twilight leave. He silent chided himself, hating the doubt still lingering in his mind. He was safe, he was sound, and he was not going to let himself spend the rest of his life dwelling on the past.

rattle rattle rattle

The colt just about jumped out of his skin at the faint sound. He looked around frantically, praying it was just the house…tree…whatever settling.

rattle rattle rattle

There it was again! Trying to keep his legs from folding underneath him, he strained to locate the source of the noise.

rattle rattle rattle

Rocks? thought Peppermill. Indeed, it sounded like stones hitting glass and wood. And it seemed to be coming from the window that faced out behind the library. With utmost caution, Peppermill crept to the door that led outside. He had just placed a hoof on the handle when…

RATTLE!

A spray of gravel from somewhere outside struck the door and window once again. Peppermill froze, his hoof hanging in mid-air. He pulled it back slowly, and crept to the window. He carefully pushed the window open and peered out. At first, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Then rising up from beneath the window, like some horrible beast rising from the sea, was a handsome stallion.

“Hello little brother.”

“S-s-s…”

“Hmm? I can’t hear you. You really should speak up.”

“The…m-m-ma…”

“The magic? Is that what you were going to say?” It was all the colt could do to nod. All of the fear, all of the memories of the flames, and the pain came flooding into his mind. It was like his body had overloaded and he couldn’t move, but he could still hear and see the pony that had haunted him for the longest time. For his part, Saltpeter seemed remarkably calm and composed.

“That’s the thing about magical wards, little brother. You remember Spellbinder, the cute little unicorn that was always hanging around? She…taught me a few things. Like how wards around a house or building are only good if somepony goes inside. But here I am in the fresh air…”. The groan from Peppermill was like music to the stallion’s ears. But he wasn’t through yet. His face took on a stern look.

“I admit I should of guessed you’d get lucky and find some silly ponies that would feel sorry for you. Everypony always thinks the little cook is so cute and helpless. And you certainly didn’t make it easy for me, hiding with a bunch of…erg…labourers.” Peppermill was frozen to the spot, his body unresponsive to the silent screams in his mind to hide somewhere, anywhere in the library.

“But then again I have to admit you made quite a game of it. I would never of guessed you would run all the way here from Canterlot. I don’t know whether to be impressed or disgusted. But because you made me laugh with your sad attempts to convince everypony around here you are so innocent, I’m willing to make a deal with you.”

“A…d-d-deal?”

“It’s simple really. You did get one thing right, little Peppermill: I normally would punish these ponies for keeping you away from me and your deserved punishment. But I am willing to leave them alone.”

“You…won’t…hurt them?”

“Not a hair on their heads. All you have to do is come quietly. You and me leave this little blip on the map, all calm and brotherly. We go back to Canterlot, and no pony need ever know. Besides, they’ll soon forget all about you. I’m sure that little firecracker of an apple farmer would love for her life to get back to normal.” As Saltpeter had counted on, the veiled yet unmistakable reference to Applejack hit his brother square in the heart.

“You…have…to promise…” stammered Peppermill.

“Promise?”

“Promise…you won’t hurt…anypony…especially…the Apples…”

“If I promise, will you come?”

…

“…yes.”

Chapter Seven

One of Spike’s usual haunts in Ponyville during a day off was one of the premier jewellery shops. One would think that having a gem-eating dragon on the premises would be bad for business. But this same dragon was also one of the best sources for quality stones, and the jeweller pony knew this. As a result a business arrangement had been made: at least once a month Spike would help judge the quality of the materials brought to the shop, including any gems he was able to find in the wild, and in return Spike would be allowed to pick and choose a pre-arranged number of lesser gems for his own consumption.

To a pony, it was a jewellery store: to Spike it was fine dining.

The baby dragon had filled a small bag with a decent assortment of snacking gems, and bade goodbye to the proprietor. As he stepped outside the shop, he found himself seeing a sight that chilled his reptilian blood. Walking side-by-side down the street, acting no different than any of the other ponies milling around, were a stallion and a colt. But there was no mistaking the identity of the two of them.

Where’s Twilight? thought the dragon in a panic. Though he never met Peppermill’s older brother, he had no doubt that this was him if the misery in Peppermill’s eyes and the defeated slump of his shoulders was any clue. Spike wasn’t sure what had happened to have caused this potential catastrophe, but he realized he was the only one who could stop it.

But how?

…

Well, there was one way Squaring his small shoulders, Spike took a deep breath, and bellowed as loud as he could:

FOAL-NAPPING!!!

***

The roar, or reasonable facsimile of one, cut through the two siblings like a well-honed kitchen knife. Peppermill’s head snapped up, and Saltpeter’s formally calm face twisted into a scowl.

“Dammit!” snarled the older pony.

“Spike!” howled Peppermill. The loud bellows drew the attention of the various citizens of town, all looking at the two brothers in puzzlement. Before anypony could properly react, Saltpeter gave the younger pony a sharp nudge in his side. Jolting forward as if he had taken a spur to his flesh, the colt jogged alongside his brother as the two attempted an escape. All the while Spike continued his cries.

FOAL-NAPPING!!!

***

Rainbow Dash, as was her habit, was napping on a cloud over Ponyville. But when shouting began to come from below, she woke up crossly.

“The heck?” she muttered as she peered over the edge of her cloud.

FOAL-NAPPING!

Those two little words were better than any amount of caffeine the mare could of consumed. She squinted down, searching for anything out of the ordinary. It was then she spotted a familiar sheen of purple scales racing down a street. She gazed towards where the dragon was running to, and then spotted a familiar colt being half-dragged off by a larger, yet similar stallion.

“Oh no you don’t…” growled Rainbow, diving off the cloud. With pin-point accuracy, she dive-bombed the fleeing pair. While she would of loved to tackle the stallion, who she assumed to be Saltpeter, into a crater she settled for pulling up just enough to stagger him from the sudden wind buffeting him.

“Let him go!” demanded the rainbow-maned mare furiously. She never received a response, as Saltpeter didn’t give her a second glance before pushing himself and his quarry into the growing crowd of confused ponies. With a disgusted snort rainbow hovered for a moment, trying in vain to spot two specific ponies in the throng. When they proved fruitless, she jetted off in search of some help.

***

CRASH!!!

It was the fact that it was louder than usual Pinkie baking background noise that made Mr. and Mrs. Cake look up from their tasks at the counter of Sugarcube Corner. The mare and stallion shared an uncertain look, silently willing the other to take the first move to check in on the pink pony.

Fortunately, they were saved the trouble by a genuinely frightening sight.

“He’s…here…” Pinkie Pie came lurching into the sales floor, a bowl upside down on her head and the left side of her face covered in chocolate batter. Her baby-blue eyes had a wild, feral look to them as she crossed the room and pushed her way out the door. The last thing the Cakes saw was her hind left leg dragging behind her.

***

The ponies in this town are crazy!

This was the dark thought that was running through Saltpeter’s mind as he felt his control of the situation slipping from his hooves. It had been bad enough trying to fend off prying questions back in Canterlot about the fire and his little brother seemingly vanishing into thin air. But now these blasted town ponies were actually beginning to show signs of anger towards him. He didn’t need this, deserve this or wanted this.

He did have one ace to play, something just in case his little brother actually showed some sort of backbone. It was looking like he might have to show his hand early just to get out of this crazy town in one piece.

The thought of giving these ponies something to remember him by pleased his dark heart.

And if it left his precious little package easier to handle, all the much better.

With a small nip to the back of Peppermill’s neck, he led the colt towards an alley. The sound of some of the more clever ponies that were quicker on the uptake began to call out for him to stop, so he picked up his pace. When he reached the mouth of the alley and discovered little actual resistance, he almost crowed in triumph.

Then a pink creature with unidentifiable brown stuff dripping off it’s face and moaning like the dead seemed to pop out of thin air.

“Gah!” screamed Saltpeter.

“…Miss Pie?” rasped Peppermill.

“OOoooOOOooohhh!” warbled the thing, waving hooves over it’s head.

“Enough!” Saltpeter’s last nerve had been steadily fraying up to this point, and the realization that his escape to freedom with his little meal ticket was being blocked by some manic pink mare snapped it clean through. The off-white stallion reached behind his ear with a free hoof and plucked a tiny glass vial out. With a almost nonchalant toss the vial landed between him and whatever this ‘Miss Pie’ was.

WHOOMPH!

An intense ball of heat and light blossomed like a flower on the ground before the ponies. So fierce was the brightness than even ponies who weren’t even looking in the general direction of it squinted in reflex. Peppermill gave a satisfying shriek, and seemed to go limp beside his brother. There seemed to be no sign of the pink…thing.

“Much better…” murmured Saltpeter wickedly.

His triumph lasted about three seconds, though it would feel infinitely longer than that in hindsight.

The realization that he had essentially blocked off his escape route came first through his head, immediately followed by his brain registering the shouts and cries for help by the ponies all around him. This was followed closely by some…less than pleasant words and looks directed at him and his now comatose bundle. But by far the most worrying feeling that wormed through the stallion’s dark heart was one word, being bellowed over all of the other noise…

SALTPETER!!!

***

Earlier…

“Thank you for your help today Twilight. I never would of thought that planting my herb garden in alphabetical order would of made so much sense.” Fluttershy dropped a trowel into a small wooden box she used for her gardening tools as the purple unicorn walking down the rows of plants approvingly. In truth, Fluttershy didn’t really need for this type of organization for her herb garden (she could identify everything by sight alone) but she didn’t have the heart to hurt Twilight’s pride.

“I can’t wait for when you can pick some of these.” admitted Twilight. “From what Spike and Peppermill have said, some of these would make some amazing dishes…”

“Oh, I’m sure between those two they could make a real feast.” The butter yellow Pegasus tapped some dirt off of her hooves, then spoke up again. “By the way, how is Peppermill doing?”

“He doing great. He seems a lot more calm and confident.”

“That’s wonderful. I’m sure Applejack is happy too.”

“Definitely. She seems to have become quite fond of him, and the rest of her family seems to feel the same way.”

“The same way about wut?” Twilight froze in mid-step as a familiar orange mare came trotting around the corner.

“Oh, Applejack. What brings you here?” questioned Fluttershy.

“I was just coming to see ifin you had finished yer herb garden. What are you doing here Twi?” The narrowed green eyes of the Earth mare pierced Twilight to the core. ”I thought Peppermill was with you at the library?”

“Listen Applejack, I know you’re worried. But like I told you before I have all sorts of magical spells surrounding the library. No uninvited pony can get inside without me knowing.”

“No uninvited pony huh?” said Applejack sceptically.

“Of course. By using the physical description you gave me of Peppermill’s brother, my wards will know if he even tried to get through the door. And I can teleport, remember?”

“Ah…ah know Twi. Ahm sorry. I just…I don’t know…” mumbled the mare sadly.

“It’s okay AJ. We all know you care for Peppermill, but nothing is going to happen.”

“HEEEEEEY!!!” A loud cry from above sent three pairs of eyes skyward. Coming down at a steep angle at a fast rate of speed was Rainbow Dash. She pulled out of her dive at the last moment and hovered over her gathered friends.

“Rainbow? What’s…” began Applejack.

“It’s Peppermill! Saltpeter somehow got to him and he’s trying to leave Ponyville!”

“Impossible! I would of known if he had gotten into the library!” cried out Twilight.

“Look, I know what I saw and I saw Peppermill and a pony who looked like what AJ described as Saltpeter walking in town. And let me tell you, that Saltpeter is a jerk!”

“You…you don’t think Peppermill tried to leave the library? Or maybe Saltpeter did something to get him to leave?” squeaked Fluttershy.

“Left on his own? Argh!” groaned Twilight. It was a painful way to learn one of the failings of a magical cantrip. She was about to apologize profusely to her Earth mare friend when…

whoomph

A muffled explosion sent Fluttershy crashing onto the ground, hooves over her eyes and squeaking in fright.

“That came from town. What in Equestria…?” Twilight’s question went unanswered, since Fluttershy was in no shape to respond and both Applejack and Rainbow Dash were already long gone.

This is my fault moaned the lavender unicorn to herself. With a grimace of anger and determination, she vanished in a flash of light. For a few moments Fluttershy continued to quake alone in her backyard. She lifted a hoof from her eyes to find herself alone in her backyard.

“Wait…f-for me!!” she wailed as she lifted off into the air.

***

The special fire that Saltpeter had used had been developed originally by unicorns who lived and worked near mines in the more mountainous regions of Equestria. Given the need for a long-lasting but safe source of light deep under the ground, the magically induced flames were set into lanterns that were used by one and all. Naturally, the bigger the fire the hotter the burn.

The fact that the flames could not be extinguished by normal means proved to be the major flaw in Saltpeter’s plan.

He certainly wasn’t about to risk marring his handsome face by trying to jump through the flames which pretty much cut off access to the alley. By this point a unruly (in his not-so-humble opinion) mob had began to surround him and his quarry. And as if he didn’t need any more difficulties Peppermill had seemingly woken up from his initial fright-induced coma and was pressing into his brother’s body away from the flames.

You are going to pay for this, you little brat!

But the final straw proved to be the bellow of an incredibly angry mare parting the crowd ahead of him The bobbing Stetson hat he could make out over the heads of the mobbed ponies made him groan out loud. Just as the orange mare stepped out into the open, and that annoying rainbow-maned pest appeared directly above her, he decided he needed to take matters into his own hooves.

“Not another step cowgirl…” Saltpeter reared onto his hind legs, wrapping a strong foreleg around the neck of Peppermill and lifting him just off the ground. As Peppermill gasped and wriggled, Applejack looked to be on the verge of exploding.

“Let…him…go!” commanded the mare with a growl.

“Yeah ya big jerk!” added Rainbow Dash. A rumble of agreement with this came from the mass of witnesses all around.

“No, I think not. You know, you would think I would of seen this coming. Everypony always looks at this little menace and thinks he is so innocent.” growled Saltpeter, tightening his grip just so he could here his little brother gasp.

“What in the hay are you talking about?” demanded Applejack.

“My life should have been great, but then this brat had to show up and ruin it all. Why should some…foal be able to work a stove and I can’t?”

“Maybe because you are nothing but a scoundrel!” came a clear, clarion voice in the crowd. The gather mass parted for a familiar white unicorn with an elegant purple mane and a determined expression.

“Rarity?” Applejack tore her eyes off of the struggling colt long enough top give her classy friend a questioning look.

“It seems you are no angel yourself Mr. Saltpeter. At least, from what I have heard…” Rarity’s brilliant blue eyes sparkled and he mouth was in a knowing smirk.

“How would some little dressmaker in the boonies know about me?” sneered Saltpeter.

“Oh, you are so dead for that.” snickered Rainbow Dash, who had been judging whether or not she could successfully swoop down and snag the flailing colt out of the stallion’s grasp.

“I know you are a womanizer, not to mention self-centered. You’ve left some broken hearts and angry ponies back in Canterlot.” answered Rarity coolly, glaring daggers at the stallion for the insult. Before Saltpeter could respond, the was a blinding flash of light, and a second unicorn now stood beside the dressmaker.

“I know something about you too Saltpeter.” announced Twilight Sparkle sharply.

“Ah, Celestia’s prized student. I hope I managed to teach you a little something about magic. I really should thank Spellbinder when I…we get back, eh Peppermill?” The colt did not respond, trying to pull himself up desperate to relieve the pressure on his throat.

“I know Peppermill is better than you at everything.”

“Twilight…” Applejack trusted her friend, but she was positive that angering the stallion was a good idea.

“Better than me? Ha! This brat is nothing!”

“He can cook better than you.”

“Cooking is over-rated…”

“He knows his way around a stove…”

“You’re repeating yourself Miss Sparkle.” sneered the stallion.

“He knows better than to leave a stove unattended.”

“Twilight.” Now Applejack’s ire was directed at her friend, furious she would bring up such a sensitive subject. Indeed, Peppermill stopped his thrashing to give twilight a sorrowful look.

“Of course he knows. He’s perfect.” The venom dripping on the final word was palatable.

“So, he does know to turn the stove off after using it?”

“Never leave a stove hot.” Saltpeter’s voice took on a mocking tone, obviously repeating something he probably had drilled into his head as much as Peppermill had.

“So, then how did the restaurant burn to the ground if he didn’t?”

“Oh, a little twist of the knob…”

…

“…dammit.” The realization that the clever unicorn had made him admit his guilt was like a slap in the face. While the crowd of onlookers were not completely aware of the situation, they knew a confession when they heard it. The steady rumble of anger from the mob rose in pitch, and more than a few voices announced monster! and get him!

“You burned down yer own home…and yer parents…” Applejack’s rage hit a level that would of even made the Sun Princess herself feel a trickle of sweat down her regal brow.

“You monster!” gasped Rarity.

“Monster, me?” demanded Saltpeter incredulously. “ He is the one that ruined my life. I had everything until he came in with his talent and his ‘oh he’s so adorable’ looks and that voice. He ruined my life and now he’s is going to pay.” Saltpeter was so consumed by his anger that he never noticed how his grip had loosened just enough to let the tips of Peppermill’s hind hooves touch the ground. Now that he could get a bit of oxygen into his system.

This would prove to be Saltpeter’s final mistake.

A puzzled look had crossed the colt’s face as he processed what he had just heard. He craned his neck up and looked up into his brother’s sneering face.

“You…kept the…stove on?”

“What difference does it make?”

“You…did all…this…because…you couldn’t cook?”

“I did it because you ruined my life!”

“I…would of taught you…”

“”What?!”

“I…would…of taught you…”

“I don’t need to have my little brother teach me anything! You needed to be taught your place!”

“You…did this…”

“Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?”

“You…”

“Miserable little brat!”

“…you!!!”

“Eh?”

“YOU!!!” Peppermill gave a shriek and thrashed in his brother’s grip. Saltpeter was taken off guard by the intensity of the emotion pouring out of his brother, and loosened his grip to the point where the colt fell forward. The moment his front hooves hit the dirt, Peppermill gave as mighty a buck as he could muster.

Applejack would admit later that it was a thing of beauty worthy of anypony in the Apple Clan.

The clack of Saltpeter jaw snapping on his tongue echoed off of the buildings The stallion staggered back, stunned. Peppermill spun around and began to strike with his front hooves. While they didn’t have nearly the same effect as his buck, the peppering shots continued to rock his brother back…

“Wait!” called out Twilight, realizing what was about to happen and began to cast a spell. But it was a few seconds too late…

Saltpeter staggered back…

…into the magical fire at the mouth of the alley…

…he tumbled through to the other side…

…he stood up…

…and shrieked as the flames licked at his mane and tail.

Twilight managed to put out the flames on the ground, but she never had a chance to try and extinguish those on the stallion. With a bellow of pain Saltpeter took off down the alley and out of the town proper. A few pegasi and unicorns took chase, more to put the fires on the pony’s fur out than to capture him. Meanwhile Peppermill stood frozen at the mouth of the alley, his frantic dark eyes watching his only surviving family run off.

“Sugarcube?” Applejack approached the colt. Peppermill turned around, though he seemed to be staring through Applejack rather than at her. The orange mare opened her forelegs open in an embrace, a hopeful look on her face. The colt trembled for a moment, then broke down into sobs. These were not the whimpers of a few days ago but full-throated, bursting with pent up emotional wails that touched every heart that heard it. He flung himself into the chest of the mare, pouring his sorrow onto her.

And the mare held the colt tight for a long, long time.

Chapter Eight - Epilouge

Applejack opened her eyes, blearily looking at the growing sunrise out her bedroom window. With a sigh she got out of her bed and stretched the kinks out of her back, mentally readying herself for another day of work. As she crept out the door of her room, the scent of cooking food met her in the upstairs hallway.

A powerful sense of déjà vu came over the Element of Honesty.

It had been three days since the events between Peppermill and Saltpeter happened in downtown Ponyville. It took a bit off effort, but Saltpeter had finally been caught. He had suffered serious burns to his head and back from the magical flames. But what appeared far worse was the affects to his mental state. He had flew into a rage while at the local hospital, injuring some ponies. It got so bad that some professionals from Canterlot were called in to officially declare him mentally dysfunctional. It was strongly believed that he would be spending the rest of his life in an institution, forever screaming about fire, crazy ponies and “that turncoat of a brother’.

For those same three days Peppermill had locked himself in the guest room at Sweet Apple Acres, refusing to come out. But today the unmistakable aroma coming from the farmhouse kitchen revealed the colt’s location. Applejack crept to the doorway of the kitchen, and found the grey colt busy manipulating pots and pans on the stove.

There was, in Applejack’s mind, a difference this time.

There was something about his stance, the way he held himself. This was not the same Peppermill had that first stumbled into the lives of the Apple family. This one was no longer haunted by the shadow of his jealous brother, nor the guilt of being responsible for his life being turned upside-down.

But Applejack would be darned if he still wasn’t still an incredible cook.

“Go ahead…and find…a seat.” said Peppermill over his shoulder to the mare. Applejack, surprised that he knew she was there this time around, obeyed. As she sat at the table and Peppermill continued to fuss over the food, the colt spoke.

“I was…counting on you…on being…the first one awake. I…wanted…to talk to you.”

“Ahm all ears sugarcube…”

“I…wanted to…officially thank you…and your family…for everything…you have done for me.”

“Well, yer welcome. But we would of helped you no matter what the situation might have been.”

“Yes, I…know that now.” The colt gave a sigh. “Now…that I’ve had…time to think…I realize…my brother had…already started…to be a bad influence…on me.” Applejack gave a start, but Peppermill turned and gave her a pointed look that riveted the mare to her chair. “He…would tell me…that the only…reason anypony…liked me was…because I could cook…or that I was…cute…well, that’s…what all the mares…he would bring home…would say…when they met me.”

“Sugarcube, yer brother was jealous and nothin’ more. He thought he wasn’t getting what was rightfully his, when he should of realized he had it the whole time.” The grey colt gave a non-committal shrug, and Applejack fell silent.

“My point…is that I believed him. I…loved my brother…no matter how…angry he seemed…to be with me. But what…he did…is unforgivable. I just…hope…he gets some…help now. Speaking…of help…how is…Miss Pinkie? Is…she still bothering…Miss Rarity…about…edible headwear?”

“How did you know about that? You were in yer room when Rarity came wailin’ at mah door lookin’ fer a break from that.” This won the orange mare a small smile (really, just a brief lifting of the corners of his mouth, but Applejack still was pleased to see it).

“I…figured out…which floorboard…doesn’t squeak in…the upstairs hallway. Besides…a grey coat…and black mane….make it easy…to hide…at the top of the stairs.”

“Well,” laughed Applejack, “Pinkie Pah is still the same as always. I can’t believe that fire actually baked that batter right to her head like that. She’s been begging Twi for some of that fancy fire, goin’ on about ‘instant bake cakes’ and such…” Peppermill nodded his approval as he began to plate up food from the stove. Applejack immediately noticed that he was only serving two plates, and she gave him a questioning look as he slipped a plate piled high with food to her.

“I…wanted just…you and me…to enjoy…a meal. Besides…I have…a important…question to ask you.” Sure enough, he set the second plate down beside the mare and pulled up a chair. He had just about bowed his head down to start eating when he glanced up. The intent gaze levelled on him by the mare made him realize he should of mentioned his intent after the meal. With a sigh, he straightened up and looked Applejack square into her green eyes.

“I…hate to…impose…on you…and your family…any more…than I have…” he began, but he found himself cut off by Applejack’s firm voice.

“First off you ain’t imposing. And second, yer welcome to stay here with us for as long as you need.”

“That…might be a long, long time Applejack. The…sad truth…is that…well, I…have no one.” This statement made the mare blink, and the colt could clearly see her chewing her bottom lip anxiously. “Both…my parents…were only foals. And I have…no grandparents. I…have nopony…other than you…and Big Mac…and Applebloom…and Mrs. Smith.”

“Granny Smith…” corrected Applejack firmly.

“Mrs. Smith…” insisted the colt, just as firm. Silence reigned in the kitchen for a few moments until Applejack actually backed down.

“Fine, but there is sucha thing as too polite.”

“Not…in the…restaurant…business.”

“Listen sugarcube. First off you have a lot more than just me and mah kin watching over you. We’ve had all sorts of ponies coming to the farm askin’ about you. There are some who have even offered to take you in as their own. And, ah know they are all good ponies…and I know you’d be happy with them…” Applejack’s voice began to grow tight. As much as she knew the other ponies were sincere, she was far too attached and far too invested in the colt to willingly let go.

“You’d really…just take…a stranger…into your home…and treat them…like family? Just…like that?” Peppermill’s words hit like arrows to the mare’s heart. But to her genuine surprise she had an answer for him.

“Yes. Yes we would. And Celestia help me ifin’ that is not the honest truth.” The colt was silent as he digested these words.

“I…am a city colt. I…know that…I’m not…built for…farm work. Heck…Applebloom…could probably…out-muscle me. And…being chief cook…and bottle-washer…wouldn’t cut it. I’d feel…like I was…a burden…” Peppermill’s lament was abruptly shut down by Applejack flying out of her chair, and placing a fore hoof on either side of his face.

“Don’t you ever think that way! You have never been a burden and you never will. You have a talent that most ponies would give up their cutie-marks for. You are smart, yer kind, Rarity’s always going on about how charmin’ you are…”

“I sound…like somepony…scraped my throat…with a spoon…” This simple comment, spoken with such a dead-pan expression, broken whatever resistance the mare had. The next thing the colt knew, he was being crushed in a tight hug. He could feel her body shaking, but realized from the muffled chuckled she buried into his mane that she was anything but sad.

“Ok…maybe…I have…a…dry humor…to go along…with my dry voice…” he admitted. This only set the mare to more laughter, and Peppermill found himself feeling a slight blush creeping along his face. Finally, Applejack released the colt from the embrace wiping the tears from her eyes.

“The point, “ she managed after catching her breath, “is you are not alone. If it means you might as well become a member of the Apple clan, then so be it. Do you understand?”

“…”

“…well?”

“…our food…is getting cold.” Applejack’s green eyes blinked. Peppermill’s dark ones blinked as well.

“Are you gong to be crackin’ jokes like this from now on?”

“Maybe…”

“…fair enough. Now sit.” Peppermill obeyed as Applejack cleared the table of the now cold food. “Ahm going to show you how we Apples make a breakfast.” With twinkling eyes she began to work at the stove, leaving the little cook to sit and ponder his future.

…

The future looked good…smelled pretty good too…

FIN

Mr. Merritt Sez: I admit to being overwhelmed by the positive response to this story. It has been something I wanted to write for a long time. I find myself liking my OC Peppermill, and I think I will continue to use him. Thank you all for your kind words, and keep watching for a new story soon!

Chapter One

A Dash Of...

A MLP:FiM Fanfic

By Mr. Merritt

My Little Pony is copyright Hasbro

Run

Don’t let him be behind me

Run

It hurts so much

Run

So tired

Just…leave…me…

…

…help…

***

There was a lot more to Sweet Apple Acres than a bunch of trees, as any of the Apple siblings would tell you. Most ponies didn’t realize that the farm took up a considerable amount of land near Ponyville. And as a result, having to keep all of its many acres under a watchful eye took a lot of work. Though they both would of rather been bucking or ploughing, doing a run of the borders of their land was a necessary job. And so, after a quick breakfast of oatmeal and (surprise!) apple slices Applejack and Big Macintosh made their way to the farthest reaches of their property.

“Two bits says the far fence is down again…” drawled the orange mare, peering out at the horizon as Celestia’s sun began it’s ascent into the sky. This was a running bet between the brother and sister, one that was more for fun than for any real money. If they had taken it seriously, Big Macintosh would be indebted to his sister for a long, long time.

“Nope…” rumbled the red draft horse. He always held out hope that said fence would be still upright, no matter how often he was wrong. The law of averages and all that…

“Whatever you say Big Mac.” chuckled Applejack. The two ponies eventually reached the far part of the farm, where few apple trees actually grew. The soil in this part of the land wasn’t ideal for growing, but it had been a part of Sweet Apple Acres since Granny Smith had been their age. The siblings maintained it out of tradition more than anything else.

Picking up a bit of speed, Applejack trotted ahead. She was anxious to finish this chore and get back to some meaningful work. As she approached a small rise, she could make out the wire and wood fence that divided the acreage from the rest of the land. To her genuine amazement, the fence was still standing. She chuckled as she approached, realizing that her big brother had finally won their friendly wager for once. She looked back over her shoulder, intent on letting Macintosh bask in his victory. But the red stallion was nowhere to be seen.

“Big Mac?” she called out. She had been certain that he had been right behind her. She headed back over the rise, and managed to catch some red fur out of the corner of her eye. He seemed to be kneeling over something just on their side of the land boundary. She approached her elder brother, curious as to what had got his attention.

It was a sight that would be burned into her mind for a long, long time.

It was a young colt, judging from the size. Applejack guessed his age to be somewhere between Applebloom and herself. But she also could tell that this pony had been through a lot, not necessarily any of it good. He was muddy, and where there wasn’t mud there was dirt; she almost never realized that the colt’s natural color was a dusty grey with a dark black mane. There were many scratches and bruises all over his body, and he looked frightfully thin. When Big Macintosh gently lifted the pony’s head, they saw the beginnings of a blackened left eye beginning to form.

“Gonna swell up pretty badly…” rumbled Big Mac, shaking his head sadly as he gently laid the pony’s head back to the ground. The entire time the colt didn’t move, but the steady rise and fall of his chest was a welcome sight. All in all, it was not something neither of the two siblings would forget.

“What in Celestia’s name happened to him?” asked Applejack softly.

“Don’t know.” rumbled the red draft pony “But I know this didn’t happen from runnin’. Somepony did this to him.”

“We ain’t leaving him here.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement from the mare. No Apple worth their trees would leave some pony, even a stranger, like this. The two ponies managed to lift the colt, who remained unconscious, like a rag doll onto Big Mac’s broad back. With a steady gait the stallion made his way back, while Applejack raced ahead to let Granny Smith know about their discovery.

***

It was with immense reluctance that Big Mac and Applejack left the colt with Granny Smith while they tended to the daily work in the orchard. While they knew that he would be in good (if shaky) hooves with the family matriarch the knowledge of their discovery still burned in their minds.

As the younger ponies tends to the trees and fields, the elder carefully washed as much of the dirt off of the colt as she could. He wouldn’t be able to get a proper cleaning until he woke up.

Assuming he ever did…

At the very least she discovered that the young pony had, in fact, a cutie mark. Under all of the grime on his flank sat the image of a long wooden pepper grinder, the type you might find in a fancy restaurant. Granny allowed the colt to sleep on the large couch that dominated the living room of the farmhouse as she began working on lunch for her grandchildren.

The elder mare hummed to herself as she gathered the pots from the cupboard and food from the larder. She hadn’t been trying to make much noise with the intent to not wake their guest, even though he had not showed any signs of life for the last few hours. None the less, Granny Smith was startled to find a trembling figure in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.

“Well, yer awake I see…” she murmured to the colt as he stood before her. Though his gaze was locked onto the floor, she could see at least one dark eye that looked haunted and nervous. Thankful that her nagging hip wasn’t going to result in any sudden movements, she tottered to the colt. He flinched slightly when she gently tipped his head up with a shaky foreleg to get a better look at his swollen eye.

“Gonna take some time before you’ll be seeing out of that eye.” she sighed.

“Um…” This small noise from the colt made Granny raise an eyebrow. “May I use…the bathroom…ma’am?” The colt had a quiet, raspy voice that brought to mind someone who had yelled too much.

“Up the stairs, down the hall, the last door.” she replied, managing a warm smile.

“Thank you…ma’am.” The colt carefully turned around and slowly made his way up the stairs. His stiff movements showed that he was sore and possibly in some pain. Granny made a mental note to gather some willow bark for the colt to chew, then went back to the stove. She suspected that a good hot meal would do the colt some good.

***

Applejack and Big Macintosh approached the farmhouse, ready for lunch and ready to check up on the colt. The tangerine mare entered the kitchen first, and stopped in surprise and relief at the sight before her. Granny Smith was plating up vegetable stew and some dark rye bread at the table for the young colt who seemed to be fighting the urge to wolf down the food before him.

“Well, it’s good to see yer up and about sugarcube.” said Applejack happily. The colt froze in mid-chew, his one good eye focusing on the mare before him. Granny Smith quickly spoke up.

“This here is mah oldest grand daughter Applejack. It was her and her brother that found you out in the far fields.” Granny Smith began to plate up more food as the colt slowly returned to his meal, keeping his good eye on Applejack.

“And who might you be?” asked Applejack kindly. The colt remained silent as Granny piped up.

“The youngun’ ain’t ready to answer that yet. I know, I’ve tried…” Deciding to give the colt the time he needed, Applejack began to eat. That is, until she heard two sounds: the heavy footfalls of her brother on the front porch, followed by a frightened whimper from the colt. The next thing she knew the colt had dropped to the floor, curled up into a tight ball, a heart-wrenching moan coming from him.

“Easy, easy…” soothed Applejack, who had practically leapt across the room to examine the terrified pony. Meanwhile Big Mac, who had saw the whole thing, quickly backed out of the house and back onto the porch. There was no doubt in his mind that he was the source of the sudden terror the colt was experiencing. He sat heavily on the ground, every little whimper he could make out from the kitchen like a stab in his big heart.

Eyup…somepony did something to him he thought to himself sadly.

***

Big Macintosh was well-known for his great strength and his stoic personality. But many ponies didn’t realize that just because he rarely showed emotion on the surface didn’t mean his was incapable of it. Right now, as he pulled the plough across the field, his heart was heavy with unhappiness.

One of the things he had learned in his life was that his great size could be rather unnerving to those who weren’t expecting it. There were many time when an attempt to befriend some pony was stopped cold by the shock of seeing such a huge pony bearing down on them. This was the only explanation he could come up with as to why the young colt he and his sister had discovered earlier that day had reacted so badly to his presence.

Despite both his sister and grandmother’s attempts to coax him back into the house, it wasn’t until the young colt had been taken to the guest room on the second floor of the farmhouse that Big Mac dared to enter. And even then he ate quickly and left, not wishing to bring any more trouble to the colt. It didn’t stop him from heaving a great sigh or two as he worked.

As Big Mac tilled the fields, Applejack was bucking apples. She recalled from a conversation she had once with her friend Twilight Sparkle about ‘muscle memory’. Apparently when one’s body had done the same thing over and over again, the body would eventually grow used to the actions and it could be done without needing any sort of messages from the brain to do so. The tangerine mare suspected that was what she was experiencing right now, for while her body bucked and sorted and carried baskets of apples, her mind was somewhere else entirely.

To be precise, her mind was on a young colt that had fallen into a fitful sleep in her house.

Her elder brother’s words when they had first discovered the grey colt came bubbling to the forefront of her mind. Somepony did something to him. The very idea of this was enough to make her buck at the trees a bit harder than necessary, eliciting a few loose branches and leaves among the fruit on the ground. While they had no real evidence to back this theory, the truth was seemingly as plain as the swollen eye on the colt’s face.

Another rather painful piece of evidence was the reaction he had to Big Macintosh upon seeing him. This wasn’t just some foolish fright at a much bigger pony. Clearly the sight of her brother must of brought up a painful memory for the colt. The pony that hurt him thought Applejack grimly. If so, I’d like to give that varmint a piece of mah mind…

***

When Granny Smith had began her daily nap in her over-stuffed easy chair in the living room, she had been alone. But when she woke up, she found that the young colt had apparently woken up and recovered from his emotional break down. He now sat back on the couch, looking steadily down at the floor. With a sad sigh, Granny managed to climb out of the chair (and Celestia knew it seemed to get harder and harder every day to do so) to start preparations for supper.

As Granny began to ponder what to do with the well-stocked larder, she managed to catch a flash of red and pink from outside the kitchen window. She tottered over to find her youngest grandchild Applebloom trotting up the path to the farmhouse. As the young filly closed in on her home, she picked up her pace. Granny Smith knew what was going to happen: in a yellow blur she would shout a greeting to her granny, race upstairs to put her school bag away, then race right back down intent on reaching the clubhouse built near the house.

Sure enough, the door swung open and Granny tried to call out to her, but with a rushed babble that sounded like ‘afternoon Granny!’ the filly raced in and out of the kitchen. The elderly mare could only sigh and shake her head, amazed at the endless energy her youngest granddaughter had.

A few moments later the green mare was met with a surprising sight. She found Applebloom slowly backing into the kitchen from the living room, a look a puzzlement on her face. She didn’t stop until she bumped into the elderly mare. She plopped down onto the floor, looking up into her grandmother’s wizened face.

“Granny Smith, who is the colt sittin’ in the living room?”

“Don’t really know dear. Yer brother and sister found that youngin’ passed out in the far fields this morning’”

“He…doesn’t look very good.”

“Reckon he’s been through something mighty bad recently. What that colt needs right now is a friendly face…” While it was still hard to tell for sure, Granny was confident that Applebloom and the colt were fairly close in age. As a result, it was possible he might open up more to her than anypony else. The elderly mare felt a surge of pride when the filly showed she understood what she had heard, and walked back into the living room.

***

As much as she knew it wasn’t polite, Applebloom couldn’t help but stare with concern at the swollen eye the colt sported. The fact that the young pony radiated a sense of despair only furthered the filly’s concern. Steeling herself, she carefully sat herself on the other side of the couch.

“Hi, mah name is Applebloom.” greeted the filly. The colt was silent, but he did give her the briefest of glances. Deciding this was a good start, Applebloom continued. “What’s yer name?” The filly hadn’t really expected an answer, and while she was silently berating herself, she was surprised when the colt responded in a raspy voice.

“Peppermill…my name, is…Peppermill.”

“Peppermill…” murmured the filly. She found herself unable to stop herself from glancing at his flank, and felt the slightest hint of irritation at the sight of a cutie mark that matched his name. Recovering quickly, she addressed the colt again. “It nice to meet cha Peppermill. I know you’ll like staying here, um…I mean…” Once again Applebloom inwardly scolded herself at how awkward she had sounded. This wasn’t going as well as she had hoped. Her inner turmoil evaporated in a flash when the colt spoke once more.

“I…can’t be here. I don’t…want you folks…to get hurt…because of me. He might…he might…” The colt began to tremble, and the filly felt a blaze of empathy for him. Despite the clear distress he was under, he seemed to be more concerned about her family’s well-being than her own.

“I don’t know who your talkin’ about, but you don’t have to worry.” explained the filly firmly. “Mah family can take care of itself, and we ain’t about to let somepony hurt you either.”

“You…don’t know what…he can do. It…would be my fault. He’d hurt you…because of me.”

“Huh, let him try!” Applebloom’s confidence glowed as she placed a kind hoof on the colt’s shoulder. “Whoever did this to you ain’t no match fer the Apple Clan! We take care of our own!”

“I’m…not part…of your family.” whispered Peppermill.

“As long as you are under our roof, you are as good as family!” this firm statement came from Applejack, who entered the room. Peppermill began chewing his bottom lip anxiously, but the mare raised a hoof. “Big Mac is waiting on the porch. He won’t come in unless you want him to.”

“I’m…sorry if I upset him. It’s just…he looked…like…him…for a moment.” mumbled the colt apologetically.

“That’s all right sugarcube.” said Applejack. “Like mah sister said, we ain’t gonna let no one hurt you. But I got to ask: who exactly are you talkin’ about?” No answer came from the colt, as Peppermill immediately looked away from the two female ponies. Applejack stifled a sigh, but decided not to pry. She was just happy that the colt had opened up as much as he had.

“Soup’s on!" called Granny Smith, who poked her head into the room. “You up to another meal youngun?”

“Yes…Mrs. Smith…” said Peppermill softly. “And…Big Mac…can come in…” Granny nodded, and led her grandchildren and guest to the table.